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Energy Food and Drink

You're going to need adequate fuel and hydration for your running and trail adventures. Here you can find the best-rated energy gels, chews, and bars, plus electrolyte, hydration, and recovery drinks in enough flavors and forms to please any palette (just be sure to give any a trial run before that big race).

Want more food for longer outdoor adventures? Check out our full independent reviews and ratings of trail and backcountry food and drink, including meals, desserts, coffee, and more.

The best energy food and drink, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. The latest review was added on March 29, 2023. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.

user rating: 5 of 5 (4)
Clif Chocolate Brownie Bar Nutrition Bar
$2
user rating: 5 of 5 (2)
Nuun Active Hydration Tablets Drink
$27 - $59
user rating: 5 of 5 (2)
Skratch Labs Energy Bar Sport Fuel Nutrition Bar
$3 - $29
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (4)
Honey Stinger Energy Waffle Nutrition Bar
$1 - $19
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (3)
Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews Gel/Chew
$2 - $29
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (2)
Vitalyte Electrolyte Replacement Drink Mix Drink
$1 - $23
user rating: 4 of 5 (4)
Clif Shot Gel/Chew
$1 - $42
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
ProBar Bolt Energy Chews Gel/Chew
$2 - $29
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Kate's Real Food Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar Nutrition Bar
$3 - $29
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Clif White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Nutrition Bar
$2
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Honey Stinger Mini Waffles Nutrition Bar
$8
user rating: 4 of 5 (2)
Clif Shot Bloks Gel/Chew
$2 - $52
user rating: 4 of 5 (2)
GU Energy Gel Gel/Chew
$1 - $38
user rating: 4 of 5 (1)
UnTapped Gels Gel/Chew
$2 - $36
user rating: 4 of 5 (1)
Clif Nut Butter Filled Bar Nutrition Bar
$2 - $29
user rating: 4 of 5 (1)
Exo Cricket Energy Bar Nutrition Bar
$30
user rating: 4 of 5 (1)
Clif Bar Nutrition Bar
$1 - $23
user rating: 3.5 of 5 (2)
Gatorade Propel Powder Pack Drink
$12
user rating: 3.5 of 5 (1)
GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel Gel/Chew
$3 - $62
Tailwind Rebuild Drink
$3
Kate's Real Food Mango Coconut Tiki Bar Nutrition Bar
$30
user rating: 3 of 5 (1)
GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Drink Drink
$3 - $32
user rating: 2.5 of 5 (1)
Clif Blueberry Crisp Bar Nutrition Bar
$2
Kate's Real Food Dark Chocolate Cherry & Almond Handle Bar Nutrition Bar
$3 - $29
user rating: 5 of 5 (3)
Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix Drink
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (2)
A3 Honey Graham S'mores Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Drink
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Hammer Nutrition Hammer Gel Gel/Chew
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Alacer Emergen-C Drink
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Hotshot Sports Shot Drink
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Mariani Cranberry Honeybar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Kind Nuts & Spices Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Huma Chia Energy Gel Gel/Chew
$2 MSRP
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Clif Kit's Organic Fruit & Nut Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon 500ml Drink
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Larabar Apple Pie Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Bonk Breaker Peanut Butter & Jelly Energy Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Nestle NIDO Dry Whole Milk Drink
user rating: 5 of 5 (1)
Hammer Nutrition Recoverite Drink Mix Drink
user rating: 4 of 5 (4)
Kind Fruit & Nut Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 4 of 5 (3)
Clif Berry Pomegranate Chia Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Zipfizz Drink
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
GU Electrolyte Brew Tablets Drink
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Nuun U Natural Hydration Tablets Drink
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
ProBar Old School PB&J Bar Nutrition Bar
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Salazon Chocolate Organic Dark Chocolate with Natural Sea Salt Nutrition Bar
$3 MSRP
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Clif Mojo Wild Blueberry Almond Nutrition Bar
user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1)
Salazon Chocolate Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt and Organic Turbinado Cane Sugar Nutrition Bar
$3 MSRP
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Recent Food/Drink Reviews

rated 1 of 5 stars
Larabar Cashew Cookie

I’m trying to find delicious treats for my daughter that has recently been diagnosed with an over abundance of allergies including gluten, dairy, various nuts, oats , coconut etc. I tried this and did not like the texture or taste. This is not crunchy or delicious in my opinion . Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Skratch Labs Energy Bar Sport Fuel

LOVE this bar! Easy to digest and yummy! Peanut Butter and Strawberries ***** Peanut Butter and Chocolate ***** Raspberries and Lemon *** Chocolate Chips and Almonds **** Cherries and Pistachios **** These energy bars are perfect for any hike. They pack well, they taste scrumptious, and pack a lot of nutrients for a yummy bar.  Averaging 5 grams of protein, 30-35 carbs, and 13 grams of fat, these bars will give you enough energy to get your morning started and stay satiated until lunch! Full review

rated 3.5 of 5 stars
Gatorade Propel Powder Pack

I love this product, however many times I open packets that are completely empty OR hard as a rock with unusable product. I've written to Gatorade and enclosed samples of both issues and the boxes they were in to show serial number etc, but not one person has taken the initiative towards good customer service or replied in any way. Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Gnarly Nutrition Hydrate

Gnarly Nutrition's Hydrate solutions is the perfect companion for outdoor athletes. It's designed with electrolytes and B vitamins to support hydration and energy. Athletes have been known to sweat anywhere between 0.8 and 1.4 liters per hour. The exertion and physical activity stresses the body out, ultimately building strength and endurance. But it's very easy to become dehydrated if you're not careful to replenish the fluids that you lose during each activity. Gnarly Nutrition's Hydrate mix is… Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Kate's Real Food Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar

Kate's Real Food bars are among my favorite bars and the Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Tram Bar is the original. The bars come in eight tasty flavors—from classic combos like peanut butter and chocolate to lemon coconut and ginger—with clever names. The bars are made with organic, whole food ingredients, and are a standard size—easy to stow away in a backpack or pocket for snack time outdoors. I eat them skiing, hiking, and camping year-round.   Kate's Flavors Kate's Real Food bars come in… Full review

rated 3.5 of 5 stars
Gatorade Propel Powder Pack

Propel is an electrolyte beverage that comes in a 2.4 gram pouch. It's a zero calorie drink. It comes in three flavors. I chose the grape.   Propel electrolyte replacement pouches you just add to your water bottle. During the summer and spring I watch electrolytes like most hikers. I found that I wanted less sugar in my drinks. I was recommended Propel and it was easy to find at my grocers. You find it where Gatorade is sold. My store runs a pretty good sale on two boxes. It's recommended to… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Honey Stinger Cracker Bar with Protein

Honey Stinger's Cracker Bars are among my favorite bars for ski trips, hiking, and outdoor snacking. Available in two tasty flavors—Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate—they're made with organic sea salt multigrain crackers sandwiching a layer of organic peanut butter, sweetened with organic honey, and covered in organic milk or dark chocolate. All together it's a crunchy, sweet and salty combo that I find a welcome alternative to the typical dense energy bars available. Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Exo Cricket Energy Bar

Six-legged creatures have never tasted so good! The Blueberry Vanilla EXO Cricket Energy Bar is an energy bar made using cricket powder as the basic protein source. In addition to ground-up crickets, these energy bars are also made from a lot of good healthy ingredients like almonds, apricots, blueberries, and a bunch of other ingredients that you can read, pronounce, and already have a good idea of what they are. These energy bars taste good and have a nice consistency and make them a great option… Full review

rated 3 of 5 stars
SaltStick Elixalyte

SaltStick's Elixalyte electrolytes make the hydration process simple and easy. Rather than running into issues with cramping and heat stress, you can incorporate a few drops of this concoction into your fluids to prevent these issues. Nobody likes their hike to be interrupted by heat stress and cramps. But finding ways to incorporate electrolytes into your day can help reduce these issues. Luckily, SaltStick's Elixalyte gives athletes easy access to a clean and balanced electrolyte formula during… Full review